“National treasure” Eric Rohmer dies

One of the leading French directors during the New Wave of cinema in the 1960s has passed away. Libération leads with the death of Eric Rohmer, calling him a “national treasure”.

Eric Rohmer was one of the greatest Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) directors, along with Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaud. The 89-year-old died yesterday and the left-leaning Libération leads with his passing.

Amongst the observations, the paper points out his productivity. He directed 25 films over a career that spanned 50 years. Rohmer had a minimalist approach and often produced high quality work with small production teams and a modest budget. He prided himself in his independence. As the paper’s editorial says, “No one told him what to do.”

Rohmer was also highly innovative and adapted to changing technologies. He was the first French director to have one of his films broadcast on television before it hit the cinemas. Le Rayon vert (The Green Ray) went on to win a Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1986.

His most famous works included “Contes moraux” (Moral Tales), a series of five films including “Carrière de Suzanne” and “l’Amour l’après-midi”. Another series of six films, “Comédies et proverbs” (Comedies and Proverbs) was built largely around the flirtations and fickle emotions of young people.

Rohmer had a loyal following of fans outside of France too, notably in the U.S.